Region gets holiday on ice

Region gets holiday on ice

December 26th, 2010by Jeremy Belk in News

Staff photo by Jake Daniels/Chattanooga Times Free Press -- Dec 25, 2010
Victoria Maffett, 18, and her father Reginald smooth out some snow on along the sides of their snowman on the corner of 11th Street and Central Avenue on Saturday afternoon.

Staff photo by Jake Daniels/Chattanooga Times Free Press...

The delightful white Christmas is giving way to an icy day after.

Slush from the snow that blanketed Southeast Tennessee and North Georgia on Saturday was expected to lead to slick roads this morning.

"The big issue is going to be icing," WRCB meteorologist Nick Austin said, with temperatures below freezing throughout the day.

He said today will be cloudy with a high of 33. Monday will be sunny but cold, with a high of 35 and a low of 18. Temperatures are expected to warm later in the week, with a possible high of 59 by Friday.

The North Georgia forecast is similar, according to the National Weather Service in Peachtree City, Ga.

Austin said the snowfall on Saturday was more than expected. He said most of the valley areas got 3 to 5 inches, Lookout Mountain had as much as 6.5 inches.

The Chattanooga Police Department is recommending people stay off the roads except for emergencies.

Police spokeswoman Rebecca Royval said the W Road was closed Saturday night and Signal Mountain Boulevard was "getting bad." As of Saturday night, the W Road was the only closed road.

Throughout the region, police spokesmen reported no serious accidents but dozens of fender-benders on slick, snowy roads.

But for many people in Chattanooga on Saturday, the white Christmas was nothing but fun.

IF YOU'RE FLYING

If flying this weekend check for delays or cancellations before leaving for the airport.

Delta passengers: 1-800-221-1212 or www.delta.com

US Airways: www.usairways.com

American Airlines: www.aa.com

Source: Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport

John Lytle and Suzanne Goodemote, both adults, went sledding like children Saturday afternoon at Renaissance Park.

"It's magical to wake up on Christmas to snow!" Lytle said.

The pair said while weather forecasts called for snow, they didn't expect what they found.

"I spent time with family this morning. I didn't think I'd end the day by sledding," Goodemote said.

Marvin and Judy Pace enjoyed the snow with their grandson, Alex Pace, Saturday at their home in the Vulcan community on Lookout Mountain.

Marvin Pace pulled his wife and grandson on a sleigh behind his lawnmower.

"I got up at five (a.m.) and didn't see anything," he said. "Judy got up at six and told me it was turning white."

The snow didn't cause many power outages around the area but did keep power crews busy.

EPB representative Lacie Newton said fewer than 100 customers lost power Saturday. She said the largest outage in EPB's area was 37 homes in East Brainerd.

MORE

Church cancellations and area closures visit our partners at WRCB Channel 3

Volunteer Energy Cooperative spokesman Robert McCarty said there were no major outages in its service area, which includes parts of Hamilton, McMinn and Meigs counties and Crossville.

McCarty said smaller outages, 10 and 20 homes at a time, kept crews busy all day, especially in Cleveland, Tenn.

"Crews have been out all day long," McCarty said. "They've had a hard tough day."